1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a cue stick for playing pool or billiards and methods of making the cue stick and components thereof.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A cue stick for playing pool or billiards is typically an elongated tapered shaft with a handle at one end and a tip at the other end. The shaft and handle can be integrally formed or comprised of two or more members engaged together. Generally the cue stick is made of a hardwood such as hard maple; however, it can also be made of a non-wood material such as aluminum, stainless steel or plastic.
In order to provide optimum performance, a cue stick needs to be stiff and perfectly straight. It is also desirable for the cue stick to generate minimal vibration when striking the cue ball, and to provide a radially consistent “feel” and performance regardless of the orientation or rotation of the cue stick in the player's hand.
One problem with wood cues is that they can warp. Due to variations in moisture content, all wood expands and contracts which can lead to a bowed or warped cue stick. The warping problem has been addressed by forming the shaft using flat laminated wood rods or multiple pie-shaped wood sections. While these approaches have increased the warp resistance of wood cue sticks, there is still room for improvement.
A sleeve is generally mounted around the tip end of a cue stick to prevent splitting and wear of the tip end due to impact of the tip with the cue ball. For proper playing action, the tip end should have a high strength-to-weight ratio. In order to achieve the required strength, sleeves are typically made of ivory or reinforced plastic. Unfortunately, sleeves made of such materials are relatively heavy which can adversely affect the performance of the cue stick. For example, it has been demonstrated that a relatively low tip end mass relative to the cue ball mass helps decrease cue ball deflection when the cue ball is struck off center to impart spin.
Thus, there is a need for a cue stick and cue stick components that are highly resistant to becoming warped, generate minimal vibration and have a radially consistent feel and performance. There is also a need for a cue stick sleeve that has sufficient compression and bending strength yet is relatively light in weight.